The Great Gazoo is working on his report card for the human race, and so far humanity has earned a big fat “F.” When the Church of Gerard starts selling Indulgences, Bedrock descends into violence and debauchery. Meanwhile, a miner gets trapped at Slate’s Quarry. Might there be an honest citizen in this burgeoning civilization willing to come to his rescue?
Writing
Thanks to a busy personal schedule, there wasn’t enough time in 2016 to review all of the comics which came out, or even a fraction of them as intended. Many entertaining and fantastic books didn’t get the attention they deserved. Case in point: The Flintstones, one of the best surprises to come out of comics last year. What could have been a simple case of reintroduction of the characters to hold the property rights (much like what Wacky Raceland turned out to be), this series continually mixed current events with dark comedy to deliver very amusing and at the same time thought provoking comics.
In this issue, the Great Gazoo, a character which became infamous with decline when he appeared in the original cartoon, is used as a framing device to serve as an outsider’s view into humanity. Through his report back to his superiors about what life is like on Earth and how humans seemed doomed to be one second away from destroying themselves in their quest for meaning, the creative team is able to help illuminate an often felt in modern society. Just as it seems like the issue will end on a very disheartening note, writer Mark Russell proves how he is becoming the king of the last page delivery. Sure nothing is going to top how he ended the fifth issue but he still continues to find a ways to hammer home his point with each issue.
Artwork
Artist Rick Leonardi continues to deliver amazing character visuals. Building off the cues of the original cartoons he finds ways to make the setting truly feel like a modern stone-age family. The use of clams as cell phones is a particular nice touch. Also, the final page wouldn’t be nearly as powerful if the art wasn’t so finely detailed.
Conclusion
The Flintstones was not only one of the greatest comic books to come out of the DC’s line of comics based on Hanna-Barbera characters, but it was also one of the best books of the previous year period. If you haven’t taken the time to read this book, the latest issue is a perfect way to get a sense of what this book has to offer. You’ll have a gay old time.
